Source: The Next Web
OpenAI and Anthropic have constructed a narrative of responsible governance—publishing safety research and policy recommendations—while simultaneously pursuing the opposite incentive structure: larger models and public markets. This isn't hypocrisy masquerading as caution; it's a structural contradiction where fiduciary obligations to investors, employees, and cap tables now override their earlier nonprofit or mission-driven positioning. The IPO trajectory matters because it locks in growth-at-all-costs economics and makes safety work a cost center rather than a competitive advantage, leaving actual AI governance to government actors who are years behind the technology.